Jia Ruskaja (born Evgeniya Fyodorovna Borisenko, Russian: Евгения Фёдоровна Борисенко; 6 January 1902 – 19 April 1970) was a Russian dancer and choreographer who established the National Dance Academy of Italy. Her stage name "Jia Ruskaja", which means "I am Russian", was used for the first time by

Anton Giulio Bragaglia __NOTOC__ Anton Giulio Bragaglia (11 February 1890 – 15 July 1960) was a pioneer in Italian Futurist photography and Futurist cinema. A versatile and intellectual artist with wide interests, he wrote about film, theatre, and dance. Early lif ...

Biography

With her father, an officer in the Russian Imperial Army, Ruskaja fled Russia in 1918 just after the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

. She studied dance in

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

, before attending medical school in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

. Ruskaja married Evans Daniel Pole in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

in 1920; after their marriage was annulled, their son lived in London with his father. Her dancing debut occurred 4 June 1921 in Rome at the Casa d'Arte Bragaglia. She opened her first ballet school in Milan at the Teatro Dal Verme in 1929. From 1932 to 1934, she directed the La Scala Theatre Ballet School. After her marriage to Aldo Borelli, editor of ''

Corriere della Sera (; ) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average circulation of 246,278 copies in May 2023. First published on 5 March 1876, is one of Italy's oldest newspapers and is Italy's most read newspaper. Its masthead has remain ...

'', Ruskaja received Italian citizenship. In 1940, she founded the Royal School of Dance, initially attached to the

Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico (translation: Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts) is a national drama school in Rome, Italy. Founded in 1936 by the theatrical theorist, critic, and writer Silvio D'Amico, the a ...

, which became independent in 1948 as Accademia nazionale di danza, a school which only admitted women. She was its director until 1970. Daisy Parrilla and

Eleonora Abbagnato Eleonora Abbagnato (; born 30 June 1978) is an Italian ballet dancer, model, and actress. Between 2013 and 2021 she was Danseur étoile, Étoile at the Paris Opera Ballet. Early life and education Born in Palermo, Abbagnato started dancing at ...

had contentious claims to the “Premio Roma Jia Russkaja” prize in 2011.

Selected filmography

*''

Judith and Holofernes Judith and Holofernes may refer to: * Judith beheading Holofernes, a biblical episode from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, often shown in art ''Judith and Holofernes'' or ''Judith with the Head of Holofernes'' may also refer to: Artworks 15t ...

'' (1929)

Awards

*1962, Premio Minerva d’Oro

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruskaja, Jia 1902 births 1970 deaths Russian ballerinas Russian choreographers Italian ballerinas Italian choreographers Russian women choreographers Italian women choreographers People from Kerch Founders of educational institutions White Russian emigrants to Italy Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Italy 20th-century Russian ballet dancers 20th-century Russian women